Riley remembered as 'an iconic figure' for leadership on, off ice

Bill Riley is best known as the third Black player to reach the NHL and one of the first Washington Capitals to wear No. 8 before Alex Ovechkin made it his own.

But Riley, a retired forward whose death at age 75 was announced Sunday, was much more to Frantz Jean and others natives of the Canadian Maritimes. He was a mentor and a trailblazing folk hero who defied the odds of geography and race to play 139 NHL games and later became a coach and general manager in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League.

"He was a little bit of an iconic figure, growing up in Amherst (Nova Scotia) and making it to the NHL undrafted," said Jean, the goalie coach for the Tampa Bay Lightning. "It's already hard enough when you're from the Maritimes to make it to the NHL, just the fact that he was a Black player made it even more impressive."

Riley became the third Black player in the NHL when he joined forward Mike Marson on Dec. 26, 1974, against the Philadelphia Flyers in the Washington Capitals' inaugural season in 1974-75.

They entered the League 16 years after Willie O'Ree became the League's first Black player when he debuted with the Boston Bruins against the Montreal Canadiens on Jan. 18, 1958, at the Montreal Forum.

Riley never sugarcoated what he endured in the NHL and the minor leagues, primarily in the United States.

"I went through a lot in the minors," he told the Color of Hockey in December 2016. "I got called names down in the U.S., I didn't even know what they meant. I had to ask another Black guy. They used to call me 'Chitlin.' I didn’t know what a chitlin was. We don't have chitlins up in Canada, we don't eat chitlins in Canada."

Riley played 125 games with the Capitals from 1976-79 and 14 games for the Winnipeg Jets in 1979-80. He had 61 points (31 goals, 30 assists) in his five NHL seasons.

"The Washington Capitals extend their deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Bill Riley," the team said in a statement.

"During his time in Washington, Bill exemplified leadership, professionalism, and dedication on and off the ice. He carried himself with integrity and pride, leaving a lasting impact on his teammates, the organization and the broader hockey community."

Riley had success in the minor leagues and in Canadian junior hockey. He had 304 points (147 goals, 157 assists) in 391 American Hockey League games with Hershey, Moncton, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia from 1978-79 to 1983-84.

He was captain of New Brunswick when it won the AHL Calder Cup in 1982 and was fifth on the team with 62 points (32 goals, 30 assists) in 80 regular-season games.

Riley once told his granddaughter, former Canadian college hockey player Kryshanda Green, that, "Pop-Pop was in his 30s when Steve Larmer and Steve Ludzik all those guys came in as 19-year-olds, played for (New Brunswick) in the American Hockey League and looked up to me in the highest kind of way because of the leadership skills I displayed for them."

Riley became coach and general manager of the Moncton Wildcats in their inaugural QMJHL season in 1996-97. The following season he hired Jean, then a 26-year-old former Canadian college goalie, as goalie coach to replace Roland Melanson, who joined the Montreal Canadiens organization.

Jean, a two-time Stanley Cup winner during his 16 seasons with the Lightning, is one of the few Black coaches in the NHL today.

"If I don’t get that opportunity, I don’t know if I am where I am today," Jean said. "Bill knew me. He didn't flinch. I'm a year out of college, coached a little bit of midget AAA. But he had enough faith in me and enough trust in who I am, and I always respected him for that. I'm a big believer in mentorship, and Bill was a fantastic mentor."

Riley's legacy is part of a permanent display at Capital One Arena that honors the 11 Black players who played for Washington before rookie forward Justin Sourdif's arrival this season.

He was inducted into the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame in 1998. Green wore No. 8 to honor her grandfather when she played hockey with Ryerson College, now called Toronto Metropolitan University.

"Whoever played with Bill and was around him enjoyed him," Jean said. "He's won some championships, you know, it's not by accident. He was captain of teams, and not by accident. Because he was a leader of men."